Oven-Braised Beef with Tomato Sauce and Garlic

It's odd that this is the recipe I've been using for years.......sort of. I still have the hard copy, printed out version of this in my recipe box. There are more ingredients than what are listed above...... the original includes 3/4 cup of red wine, 1 tablespoon of mixed dry italian herbs, 2 teaspoons of worcestershire. the recipe above sounds pretty boring. I've been making it the original way for years, and it's fabulous.

• tacomanancy

• Tacoma

• 4/9/2021

I love this recipe, so easy to make. If the tomatoes are too tart, don't add sugar , add salt. The tomatoes will really sweeten up- a tip from an old Sicilian I know. I made this for the first time(2002) when my son was diagnosed with meningitis. Came home after a night at the hospital and slung it in the oven. By the evening the family were able to eat, albeit at different times, a good home cooked meal. The boy survived and is doing well.

• DKit

• England, UK

• 7/2/2018

Wintertime favorite. I advise making once as written. After that, sure, play with it. I sometimes double the garlic; and/or add onions and a few other root veggies; and/or use up handfuls of fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, even sage). But then I go back to the basic recipe and it's so good I wonder why I bother with the extras. I freeze portions and reheat at low temp, usually chopping in some extra tomatoes to retain moisture. Oh, and I like to serve over some chewy farro.

• Anonymous

• Syracuse

• 1/6/2018

While I am tempted to give this three forks due to the incredible ease of preparation, I didn't like it enough to give it three. The tomatoes were so too acidic with the beef. If I make it again, I might add some stock or some sugar. Also, as others have said, this lends itself to lots of interpretation, including the addition of root vegetables, mushrooms, onions... While I wasn't so happy with the outcome, the ease of preparation makes me interested in making again, but with edits.

• woodmont

• Arlington, VA

• 3/2/2015

Made this for a family Valentine's dinner using a 3.5# roast, Cento brand crushed tomatoes and peeled garlic. We caramelized an onion then added 12 oz. thickly-sliced mushrooms to brown alongside, then removed all from the pot (7 1/4 Qt. Le Creuset Dutch oven, perfect size). The roast was tied lightly, seasoned w/ S&P and a bit of flour to sear, then the pan deglazed w/ 3/4 C. of red wine. All ingredients were chucked back into the pot, along w/ Worcestershire, and cooked for 3 hours. I pulled it out to cool, submerged the onions/mushrooms for easier de-fatting later, then stuck it in the fridge overnight. The next day I defatted it (SO easy and SO worth making in advance to be able to do so), left it out to come to room temp for about 2 hours then reheated, whole, for about 45 minutes. The meat was fabulously tender and the sauce was the perfect consistency to serve over fresh pappardelle. The garlic cloves mostly melted in, but the larger ones were smooshable for bread. Next time I'll stir in a Tbs. or so of vinegar before serving. Red pepper flakes are a must. This is delicious and, even with modifications, still frightfully simple. Loved it!

• manhattantart

• Manhattan Beach, CA

• 2/16/2015

The recipe looked almost too simple. So I seared the meat, then deglazed the pan with a half bottle of Cabernet. In the crockpot, I added lots of garlic with red pepper flakes to the tomato wine mixture. A few hrs into it, I added a large piece of parmesen rind (just because). It smells lovely. I plan to shred the meat and serve it with pasta.

• JavaDee

• Austin

• 2/14/2015

这是一个奇妙的配方。我做了这许多时间s, following it exactly and doctoring it with various herbs and spices. It is amazing. Adding heat, like red pepper flakes gives it real oomph. Or, you could go with some coriander and cumin and it takes on an Indian flavor. This is really flexible and flavorful.

• baritom

• San Francisco

• 7/18/2013

我今天3 1/2磅烤。我做兄弟wn it but followed the recipe after that. I made it in a 5 qt Le Creuset which I think kept it very moist. I cooked it for 3 1/2 hours and the house smelled fantastic. Served it with mashed potatoes and carrots that I steamed and put in the tomato sauce. So easy and so good!

• Anonymous

• Philadelphia

• 11/29/2012

This recipe was beyond bland. Even tho I took the advice of some reviewers and seared the roast, inserted the garlic cloves in slits, added red wine and italian seasoning it was essentially flavorless. I tried to salvage the dish by adding beef broth, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to the juices to no avail. The meat was incredibly tender after 5 hours in my slow cooker but again, I was terribly disappointed by the lack of flavor.

• labloverx2

• Katonah, NY

• 3/4/2012

I will never cook a pot roast any other way. May I add that we re-purpose any leftovers as a savory meat sauce? Two four-fork meals in one. TRY IT as written!

• MenuFriendly

• San Francisco

• 11/2/2011

This is a great, adaptable recipe for a lazy cool day that I have made for more than 6 years. I saute onions in the pan first; add red wine to de-glaze after browning the beef, but before the addition of tomatoes; then fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, whatever I have), and ALWAYS lots of garlic. I've added sauteed mushrooms on occasion, if I had them. It's all good. I serve this with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed carrots, sourdough bread. So easy, so good.

• Anonymous

• Chicago

• 9/24/2011

Made this a couple of years ago and my notes said it was easy and excellent. Recipe surfaced the other day just as fall was getting started and decided to try it again. Couldn't believe it was so simple. Meat comes out so tender and there's lots of flavor with hardly any ingredients. I used a can of whole tomatoes and just chopped them with scissors instead of hauling out the food processor. I like chunky soups. Next time I make this I will add some mushrooms and onions and herbs, just to be different. Great starter pot roast as is.

• weedsljw

• Gladwyne PA

• 9/13/2011

Have made this several times now (followed the recipe exactly). Really good and really simple. This time I'm adding a bit of worcestershire and some carmelized onions. I always serve it shredded over rice with some crusty bread and a salad. Mmmmmm!

• mberry64

• Edgewater, MD

• 10/27/2009

Make as directed 100%. Excellent home style recipe and beyond easy. Served with whipped potatoes with grated lemon rind and some nice organic frozen peas.

• Anonymous

• Temecula, Ca.

• 1/31/2008

I loved this pot roast with very small changes. I cut deep slits in the chuck roast and stuffed them with garlic cloves. I then seared the roast on both sides before topping it with the tomatoes, sprinkling it liberally with Italian seasoning, and braising in a 300 degree oven for 5 hours. I then carmelized 2 onions, adding 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms at the end. All of it was then transferred to a crockpot to transport to a Pot Luck where we set it on "high" for one hour, switching to "warm" until served. It was fall apart tender and very yummy! None was left to take home.

• Anonymous

• Kirkland, WA

• 1/21/2007